Employer Perspectives on the Employment of People With Disabilities

The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), conducted the 2008 Survey of Employer Perspectives on the Employment of People with Disabilities. The objective of this nationally representative survey was to inform the development and promotion of policy and practice by comparing employer perspectives across various industries and within companies of varying sizes. ODEP will use the data from this survey to formulate targeted strategies and policies for increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities. This survey emphasized current attitudes and practices of employers in 12 industry sectors, including some high growth industries as projected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The majority of statistics on the employment of people with disabilities are derived from nationally representative surveys, such as the Survey of Income and Program Participation, American Community Survey, National Health Interview Survey, and soon the Current Population Survey. However, there were no comprehensive surveys examining the employer side of issues related to recruiting, hiring, advancing and retaining people with disabilities. This 2008 ODEP Survey of Employer Perspectives on the Employment of People with Disabilities was designed to provide a source of nationally representative statistics on the employment of people with disabilities from the perspective of employers.